Investigation concludes after 3 dogs die at PetSmart PetsHotel boarding facility in Potomac Yard

ALEXANDRIA, Va. ( DC News Now ) — The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (AWLA) said on Monday that it has concluded its investigation into three dogs that died while being boarded at the PetSmart PetsHotel in Potomac Yard and that no one will face charges.

Three dogs died after staying at the facility around the same time frame. Official complaints against the PetSmart PetsHotel originated on July 1 with the death of a 3-yea r-old Ausiedoodle named Clark.

The other two dogs who died , Lily and Blu, were cremated. However, the AWLA was able to perform a necropsy on Clark to determine the cause of death.

During the investigation, the league also reviewed veterinary records, care logs, video and information from the involved parties.

The necropsy report on Clark revealed there was a serious medical issue (bacterial pneumonia related to an E. Coli infection, with possible sepsis) present in Clark’s body, according to AWLA.

The league noted that due to the severity of his infection, it was likely present before his stay at the PetsHotel.

The veterinarian who performed the procedure on Clark said the illness was advanced in his lungs, thymus, liver, spleen, thyroid gland, adrenal gland, kidneys, heart, bladder and brain. The high levels of bacteria in Clark’s body were highly unlikely to have occurred in the time frame in which he was under the care of PetsHotel employees, and the onset of his symptoms would have been sudden and rapid.

Despite being unable to perform necropsies on Lily and Blu, investigators determined that Lily’s death could be attributed to her old age. The cause of death for Blu could not be determined.

The AWLA released the following statement on the matter:

“While we do not believe the care provided at the PetsHotel during the time Clark, Blu, and Lily boarded was of an exceptional caliber due to the high number of animals in relation to care staff (100-160 animals to 4-5 care staff), on review of this case with the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, it was determined that since Clark had a pre-existing medical condition and that medical care was sought by PetSmart staff for Clark, there is insufficient evidence to charge PetSmart or any of its staff with a violation of the Virginia animal care codes and no criminal proceedings will be filed in this matter. ”

The league said it is making “strong recommendations” to the PetSmart Petshotel to consider increasing staff or limiting the number of pets in the facility. AWLA also encourages people to reach out to elected state representatives to enact regulations setting animal-to-care staff ratios and inspections of boarding facilities.

They also strongly recommend that PetSmart have a licensed veterinary technician on staff to monitor the animals and that employees receive recurring training on how to recognize and respond to any medical concerns.

“It is important to remind our community that animal boarding facilities, unlike animal shelters, are not subject to annual inspections by a state agency, and instead are only subject to inspection if a complaint is filed,” said AWLA in a release.

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